Bandelier Trading Co

Pueblo Pottery

Earth, air, fire, and water—these have been the basic ingredients of Pueblo pottery for more than two thousand years. Originally used for storing food, cooking, trading, and as ceremonial vessels, pottery still plays a role in traditional ceremonies. Today, many potters earn their living from this craft.

The method used to make Pueblo pottery has not changed for hundreds of years. Clay is dug—often from a private, sacred site—then sifted many times, and finally mixed with sand, crushed rock, or ground pottery sherds to prevent cracking when the pot is fired. Water is added and mixed until the clay looks and feels just right. The proportions aren't measured except by look and feel, a skill passed from generation to generation.

The shape of the pot is created by the coil method. First, a flat base is patted and rolled. Then, the potter rolls a rope of clay to coil on top of the base. The coil must be of uniform thickness and contain no air bubbles. Coil upon coil are pressed together to form the walls of the pot. These are smoothed and thinned using a scraper, which is often a piece of gourd or a smooth stone. The potter uses no modern tool, and yet the pot's walls are an even thickness, its shape is stable, and it is a near perfect circle—a feat of engineering.

After it is dry, the pot is usually sanded and coated with a clay slip. The potter will spend hours polishing it with a stone, sometimes one passed on by a cherished relative. In some cases, designs are painted on using colored clay slips. The technique called sgraffito involves cutting or scraping through the slip to create a design in the clay underneath.

While commercial kilns are sometimes used, most Native Americans prefer the magical, if somewhat unpredictable results of an outdoor fire. A combination of wood and cow or sheep dung fuel the fire to very high temperatures. If the pot is smothered during the firing, it will turn black from the smoke.

Many contemporary Native Americans incorporate their own modern artistry into these traditional pottery techniques, creating unique, but traditional, pots.